Deep Dive
by AngelicConquistador
Summary: -the story behind the story- this is Sora before he met Riku for the second time, Sora when his life changed everything… Sora, when he was Roxas. Akuroku, plus Cleon, others -Prequel to affliction & conviction-
1. Sora

**Rei**: I had to do the back story, and I wanted to do an akuroku. So, this fit perfectly. This is my pet project, my older love-child. The other is Affliction & Conviction. Do you have to read it? No. But it would be nice if you do. Affliction & Conviction will be put on hold. On the bright side, this story won't have a bazillion of chapters, I'm sure. They'll be long chapters though... XD I think.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Kingdom Hearts, nor any of the songs from the sound track… :P

**Dedicated to**- Meleiyu. I love her story, 'Love Your Servant.' It's beautiful. GO READ IT.

**Summary: -**the story behind the story- this is Sora before he met Riku for the second time, Sora when he first decided to take that assignment… Sora, when he was Roxas. -Akuroku- -Cleon- -Prequel to affliction & conviction-

**Note**: There's not a whole lot of Riku in this chapter. But enjoy it while you can- after this chapter he's gone until a certain point.

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**Deep Dive- chapter one- Sora**

"Speech"

'Thought'

_Flash back_

In the Sacred Heart Sanctuary Orphanage, Destiny Islands-

Normal POV

It was a chilly autumn day in Destiny Islands, or as chilly as you could get on a tropical chain of islands. The wind briskly whistled through the trees, teasing hats off of men and women alike as it traveled. The sun was not setting yet, as it would normally in other places, but darkened somewhat, letting the inhabitants of the town know that it was near the time for which they were supposed to sleep, and that the sky would soon be dark. So they hurried off, eager to get into their warm beds. In the Sacred Heart Sanctuary Orphanage, the orphanage workers urged the children playing outside to come inside for the evening meal.

All except for one little boy.

Little Sora sat upon the wood plank of the swing, staring out at the orange glow of the sun's rays on the sky. His eyes were the like his name- the sky reflected in the cerulean shade. His hair was spiky, and it looked like milk chocolate, with a hint of cinnamon. His outfit was plain- a pair of red pants, flat-soled shoes, and a black-and-white sweatshirt. The only accessories he possessed was a silver chained necklace- which held a crown pendant in the middle, and a similar chain of smaller silver crown pendants, which hung near the pocket of his left leg. All in all, Sora was about six years old.

Sora's mind had been on dinner, but he had wanted to watch the clouds just a while longer. One volunteer at the orphanage, a kindly brunette named Aerith, allowed it, but watched him from the entrance to the mess hall. However, his day dreams were interrupted when he and Aerith both heard the creak of the main gate- signaling visitors.

Sora looked up excitedly over to the wrought-iron fence- and stared back into the eyes of the tallest visitor, which were a bright orange. That had scared him a little, but he was a big boy, he wouldn't show that he was scared. He wanted Kairi to like him after all!

The other visitors were a very short man, which seemed to be not a man at all (with his huge ears), a tall, long-haired brunet in leather, and a spiky blond male in a unique black outfit. They were all looking over at Sora.

Regardless, Aerith called him over to her side, watching them with slightly wary eyes, yet smiled at them anyway. She set her hand on top of Sora's head. She had always been fond of Sora. "Hello there! What can I do for you?"

The tallest one with the scary orange eyes answered in a deep, almost stern voice, "We would like to see the woman in charge, Ms. Tifa Lockheart. We have business to discuss with her."

"Right this way then." Aerith didn't know what business they had with Tifa, but whatever it was, it didn't sound very good (from their tone of voice). She showed them to Tifa's office, which was filled with squishy armchairs. There was a fireplace, and a simple oak desk. They settled in, and waited.

Aerith was about to go leave and get some snacks for the visitors when she realized she had bumped into her little shadow. Sighing, she kneeled down. "Sora, aren't you going to go eat?"

Sora fidgeted. "I want to see why they came here, Aery!"

She waved her finger in the no-no gesture. "I'm sorry Sora, but they aren't to be disturbed. They came to have a serious meeting with Auntie Tifa, so we can't bother them."

"But…"

Sora didn't even have time to pout before Aerith revealed her trump card- "they're having ravioli tonight."

Sora's eyes got huge. "They're having ravioli?! And garlic bread?! And mashed potatoes?!"

Aerith nodded, smiling. 'The only time something gets in the way of his appetite is his curiosity…' It was cute.

Sora grabbed her hand, "let's go!" Already he was drooling at the prospect of consuming that lovely, hot food, prepared by the best chef ever- Aunt Flora. As he took Aerith to the mess hall, Tifa Lockheart herself was sitting down to the meeting with the four strangers.

She was a lovely woman. Her eyes were a russet color, and her brown hair was almost black. Tifa's lips were set in a no-nonsense look, just like the rest of her outfit, a conservative fighter's outfit. Black leather blanketed her hands as she clasped them together. "So, what can I do for you gentlemen?"

"That boy who was with the brunette just a few minutes ago. The spiky brown haired boy- who is he?" The spiky blond spoke up first, surprising Tifa. She looked him over- he was light-skinned, muscular… handsome. But business came first.

"His name is Sora."

"Can you tell us more?" This request came from the brunet, whose blue eyes seemed to pierce into hers as he laid a light hand on the blond's thigh. The blond blushed, and tried to take it off, but the hand remained. The blond settled for staring away with a disgruntled expression. Tifa's eyebrows rose, but answered the question.

"I could. But as it is my right to ask: what do you want Sora for?"

"That boy is special." The tallest one, who was wearing a strange dark red cape and had the orange eyes answered this time. "His heart is full of light, untouched by the taint of darkness."

Tifa gave them a strange look, but let it pass within a few seconds. "Yes, he is. He's been here since he was a baby, yet he has never asked about why he is here or where his parents are. He's a great comfort among the other children too."

"I'm sure he is. The Key to our success."

"The Key?" Tifa was starting to become wary, she wasn't sure she liked that man. But the smallest person… mouse? He looked like a mouse to her, but he reassured her with his kind, squeaky voice.

"Don't worry. He always talks in riddles. What we really want here is that these two men- Cloud and Squall Leonhart- wish to adopt Sora. They heard that this is the only place where married couples like them could adopt a child."

Tifa relaxed somewhat; the squeaky guy sounded genuine, and the two men didn't look very bad either- it was just the tall man who made her suspicious. "Very well then, you may fill out the paperwork, however: the law requires…"

Cloud, the blond, filled in the rest of her sentence: "that visitation shall be made every so often during the year to acquaint with the child, then once good progress is made, the expectant parents are allowed to take the child home a few days once in a while. When a year has passed, the child will be allowed to live permanently with the couple if they wish to, and if the home has been deemed acceptable."

Tifa smiled. "You sure do know your stuff. Here." She gave him the clipboard of all the numerous forms and a pen. "Please start filling this out now. Once you are finished, would you like to meet Sora?"

"Yes. That would work well." Leon muttered while rubbing the bridge of his scarred nose and forehead, and peered at the papers.

Once they were done, they all rose upward and Tifa proceeded to take them to the dormitories, as she explained that dinner had just been concluded. They walked past small groups of children who trickled into rooms, who whispered in anticipation of the strangers' arrival.

They went up a spiral staircase, and soon arrived in front of a door that was numbered 813- but that wasn't the interesting part, the interesting part was the scribbled inscriptions of 'Land & Sky were here' upon the door. This made the tallest man chuckle, which made Tifa pause before she knocked on the wood. "Sora, some people are here to see you!"

They heard a pattern of hurried footsteps before the door was opened. "Auntie Tifa!" The little brunet gave Tifa a hug before peeking out shyly from behind her. "Who're they?"

Cloud stepped forward. "I'm Cloud Leonhart. It's nice to meet you, Sora." He knelt down so that he was at Sora's eye level, offering his hand. While doing so, he couldn't help but notice a silver-haired boy older than Sora peering out from inside the room at him, but put it out of his mind.

Sora looked at it for a second, before taking it and shaking it. With that, he gave Cloud a sweet smile. "I'm Sora! It's nice to meet you too!" Cloud felt his heart soften in the wake of the smile; it was heart-warming. Then Sora turned to the brunet, Squall, and tilted his head. "Who is this guy?"

"The name is Squall. I'm Squall Leonhart." Squall gave Sora one of his rare welcoming smiles in order to make him more comfortable with him. It worked, and Sora gave him one back.

Sora looked at the mousey-like guy and blinked. "S'cuse me sir, are you a mouse?"

Tifa looked at him and scolded him lightly. "Sora! That's not very nice…"

Sora looked down at his feet and scuffed the top of his shoe against the wooden floor. "Sorry, sir. Your ears just look like a mouse's ears."

The squeaky guy laughed, and then patted the top of Sora's head. "It's okay Sora. I am a mouse- Mickey Mouse." Then he took off his hood, and you could see he was a real mouse.

Tifa gaped. How dumb of her, to not have recognized him?! He was the King of his own world, far away from Destiny Islands, although just a little closer to her own native world, Radiant Garden. She curtsied quickly.

Sora looked confused, yet excited. "So you are a mouse? Cool!"

Mickey just laughed at that, until the tallest guy cleared his throat. Sora looked at him warily. 'It's that creepy guy from before!'

"So we meet at last. My name… is Ansem the Wise."

Another person Tifa hadn't recognized until now! She felt a little exasperated. _Everyone_ knew who Ansem the Wise was. He was the leading expert on the strange, malicious creatures called the Heartless, and he had vowed to stop them from ravaging the worlds. He also had a group of six apprentices who worked under him to determine why and where the Heartless came from. She curtsied to him too, even though his eyes were still a little unnerving to her.

Sora waited a full minute before he shook the man's hand. He mistrusted him a bit, but his overall cheeriness won out and he gave the man his name with vigor. However, he'd like to think that he liked Cloud the best out of all of the men, so he went to stand by him. It wasn't long before Sora heard a cough from in his room. His eyes lit up; both with guilt and with happiness, if that was possible (only for Sora xD). He found his best friend standing at the corner of the door, looking a little offended.

He ran and tackled Riku. "I'm sorry Riku! What do you think of Cloud? And King Mickey?! He's a mouse! Did you see?!" The hyper six-year old was sitting atop his best friend, who had pure silver tresses and aquamarine eyes. The boy was one year older than Sora, and looked a little uncomfortable with Sora on top of him.

"Yes, Sora, I saw it. Can you please get off me though?"

Sora laughed and gave him a kiss on the cheek before climbing off and helping his blushing friend up. Cloud and Squall gave each other a look; one was smug and the other just knew. Tifa watched this exchange with eyes that spoke volumes: she was used to this sort of stuff. Little kids showed off public displays of affection all the time, and it wasn't like she hadn't seen teenage boys kissing while she was younger. It made no difference to her.

"Anyway, Sora, these men would like to get to know you better. So please answer any question they might have for you, okay?" Tifa had other duties to get to, but she could ask one of the girls to come up and supervise.

He nodded and gave her one last hug before him and the guests went to sit in the boys' room. Within minutes, a blonde girl with many braids and a lengthy ponytail arrived. Sora glomped her with an affection cry of "Two Ks!" 'Two Ks,' otherwise known as Rikku, hugged him back.

"I'm happy to see you too Sora! I get to hang out with you for a while!" Then she saw the other men, and introduced herself. A while after, the questioning began.

The questions were simple, Sora found no qualms in answering him, 'cause he didn't mind talking about his favorite colors or anything like that.

An hour later, the men left, with Squall and Cloud promising to come back within the week. Sora was happy, he liked them; especially Cloud and King Mickey. And Squall made the funniest faces when Sora asked him if he liked kittens or puppies better! It was a good day for him, and he went to bed eagerly anticipating their arrival.

Days passed. Cloud and Squall kept their promise, although they did not come back with King Mickey or Ansem this time. However, Sora still had fun; they played with him and pushed him on the swings! Even Riku joined in, once he felt like they weren't going to hog Sora if he asked if he could play too.

Twelve weeks had gone by and Sora was now allowed to go out to public places with Squally (as he liked to call him), and Cloud. Sometimes one of the workers would come with, usually Aerith or Rikku. Sora didn't mind, he liked being surrounded by his favorite people. The only problem he had was that poor Riku didn't get to come with too, and get to try the local treat- sea salt ice cream, which Sora got addicted to.

It had been six months or so since Sora had first met Cloud and Squall, and it would be his first time going to their house and not having anyone else come with (well, except that one time, but Aerith said it was a good home for him)! He had a great time, although some days were trying for Cloud and Squall when he learned when not to go into their room unannounced (if they were doing something), or that he shouldn't eat so much ice cream (he threw up). And it was the first time Sora had ever really stayed with any grown ups, and slept in their bed with them, feeling like he had a family. The guilt sometimes came though, when he had nightmares and expected Riku to be there to make them go away- but he wasn't.

When he got home he proceeded to give Riku the biggest hug there ever was, and all was well, but Sora wanted to take Riku with too.

Finally Riku got his own taste of being with family, when a couple came in and fell in love with his politeness and playful smarts. They were Cerise Karada, and Mr. Daren Karada. Sora liked them; they were nice to him too and really cared about Riku. He no longer got those sad looks when Sora went to sleep over at the Leonharts, and no longer felt guilty when he brought home a new gift. Riku got his own, and Sora shared his toys with the other kids, and was cheered when all four possible parents brought some new toys for the kids of the orphanage for the holidays.

Spring arrived when Sora was allowed to stay at the Leonharts for longer amounts of time, and even go out of the city with them. Sora was awed by their first trips to the beach- he hadn't been there since the last field trip there, when Sora was four. He played for hours in the soft sand, and napped on the beach when he got tired. It was paradise.

It was in the warm months of June when Sora's birthday arrived; and they all celebrated first at the orphanage, with a splendid lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, sea-salt ice cream, fruit, and other assorted snacks. Then they all hung out, and Sora got a picture of himself and Riku with twin smiles on their faces. Afterwards, Sora spent the night at the Leonharts, where he got to meet some more of the Leonharts friends and reminded himself they could now be his friends too. It made him smile.

And when the breezy winds of fall came back, Sora found himself tearfully saying goodbye to all the staff, and the kids. Sora even said goodbye to all the animals on the property of the orphanage. When the time came for him to go, he found himself flinging his arms around Riku in the longest goodbye hug he had ever given. He promised that he would still see Riku again, and Riku agreed, because in another six months, he'd be with his new family too. They would go over to each others humble abodes, and be best friends forever. He even made Riku promise to take care of Kairi- the little redhead that Sora used to have a crush on a long time ago, who had been their friend.

However… this did not last forever.

Sora and his parents were forced to move out, due to tight finances and the fact that Cloud had somehow picked up a crazy silver-haired stalker was making Squall paranoid that he was going to break into their house and either a) rape Cloud b) kidnap Sora so that he could get Cloud in return and then rape him or c) set fire to their home. Sora never got to tell Riku, and he only hoped that he could find him again someday and make sure he was okay.

So they moved; Squall changed his first name to Leon- how creative- to throw off the stalker, and Cloud enrolled Sora in the Twilight Town elementary school. There, Sora met some great friends- Hayner, the local punk-wannabe that was always raring to fight Seifer (the town bully), Pence, the chubby boy with the gift of intelligence and a love for food (like Sora), and Olette, the responsible member who always made sure they did their homework (and made them take her shopping in return). Sora loved his new friends, but he did miss his old ones.

One day when Sora was 16, it was an unusually dark night. He had to stay late at school to make up a test, and with winter approaching, day light savings time was over. It was only about six o'clock and since Sora had missed the train that took him home, he had to walk. He felt chills prickle his spine as he traversed the darker alleyways of the downtown part of the town, and the full moon didn't make him feel any better, only giving him some light to go by besides the occasional glare of a club's neon lights.

He was only a few blocks home when he experienced his first heartless attack. A small, almost bug-like creature with glowing yellow eyes had lurched towards him, reaching out to grasp Sora's light-filled heart. If consumed, it would be something the heartless could delight in the after taste for weeks.

Sora flung his arms out in front of his person, hoping to stave off the attack, and closed his eyes. He thought he was going to die, but fate had something else in mind- and the whole world froze.

End of chapter one

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**Rei**: Well wasn't that exciting:D This chapter took me a few hours to finish. I'm excited at how it turned out, and I hope you are too. Are you stimulated enough to give me a review? I hope so. 'Cause if you don't, I'll be sad. :P

Notes: In case anyone was wondering, the stalker is of course Sephiroth (XD). Also, for the system of adoption... my aunt is currently going through the process of adoption, and I did listen to some of it, but otherwise I did make this up. I went with whatever made sense to me, and I hope it makes sense for you all too. And yes, I did make Sora much older for his first heartless attack- why? It's because I think fourteen is a little too young for him to (later) enter a relationship with someone who is probably at least seven years older than him. And plus Sora's much cuter when he's older. XD Any other questions can be answered via review replies or PMs.


	2. Dive Into The Heart

**Rei**: I'm so excited about this story that I'm just going to keep typing and typing. I've never been so stoked before- and that's saying something. :D Keep the reviews coming, please!

**Disclaimer**- gosh darn it, Kingdom Hearts is NOT mine. So don't make me say it. ;;

**Dedication**- to Meleiyu and my other two reviewers. :D

**Note**: I will answer your questions in a direct reply, if you have any. And yes, the titles of the chapters are named after songs from the Kingdom Hearts game. YAY!

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**Deep Dive- chapter two- Dive Into the Heart**

"Speech"

'Thought'

_Flash back_

Downtown Twilight Town-

Sora's POV

I thought I was a goner for sure, but when I opened my eyes… I wasn't hurt. And I wasn't even in Twilight Town anymore! I was standing on some weird round platform. It looked like it was made of stained glass; and there were girls in dresses on it. It seemed to be glowing in the darkness all around me- which scared me, considering it seemed even darker than the alleyways in Twilight Town. I couldn't see anything else besides the series of platforms and some stairs that I was pretty sure weren't attached to anything I could see, or feel. I was definitely scared now, but I need to keep going. Who knows if that thing is going to show up?!

I tentatively stepped on one of the floating steps, and shockingly, it didn't fall through. Then I put my weight on the others, and they didn't fall. 'How in the world…?' I shrugged and continued forward, taking care that I didn't step into darkness or fall off. When I reached another platform, there were floating weapons on it, with the only light coming from the platform and from the three lights shining down upon the weapons, making them glimmer.

There was a sword with a gold hilt and a ruby in the center in the middle column, surrounded by a staff with a blue head that looked like King Mickey's, and a shield that had his symbol imprinted on there as well. 'Did he leave these for me?' I wasn't sure what to do.

'**There are three weapons to choose from.'**

I spun around in circles, I couldn't see anyone, but I could hear someone! "Who are you? What do you want?"

'**Choosing the sword will grant you strength and bravery, but it can also lead to destruction.'**

"Why won't you tell me?!" I was getting frustrated, but I was a little bit interested in what they were saying. If they decide to jump me, I could just take one of the weapons and defend myself…

'**Choose the shield, and you will gain valor and dexterity, but it will not protect unless you desire it so.'**

The shield's spotlight was brighter than the rest, it seemed to wink at me for a second, which made me rub my eyes and wonder if I was crazy… I mean, I've been having these weird thoughts lately…

'**Choose the staff, and you will acquire wisdom and intelligence, but sometimes being too clever will lead you down the road to despair…'**

Like is any of this for real or not?

'**Choose your power.'**

I walked forward, and then paused. Offense… or defense? Brains and magic or strength and more meat on my scrawny figure? I couldn't decide.

Finally, I took a deep breath. 'If I'm going to be attacked again, I need to know how to defend myself so…' I grabbed the hilt of the sword, and it felt so right in my hands- like it was made for me. The spot light faded on where the sword once floated, and the lights on the staff and shield were much brighter.

'**Choose- which shall you give up? Give up magic, and you will find yourself with a smaller wellspring to pull your magic from. Give up defense, and you may find yourself being wounded much more easily…'**

This time I picked up the staff- I didn't even know how to cast magic, so why would it matter as much? I need to make sure I can defend my back… right? The staff faded in my hands, and the shield disappeared as well. Then, a grand door spawned near the north edge of the circular platform.

'**Ahead lies something dangerous.'**

I tightened my grip on the sword. 'Dangerous? Is this why I had to choose?' I looked back towards the other platform- but it had disappeared too. Is there no way to get out of this?

'**But don't be scared.'**

How can I not be scared? I don't even know what's behind that door, and it's driving me crazy…! Am I dreaming? If so, I want to wake up right now.

'**You hold the greatest weapon in the world.'**

I do? I glanced down at the sword. Sure, it was shiny and really sharp looking, but was it really the greatest weapon in the world?

'**Ahead lies something you need.'**

'A way to get out?'

'**But to claim it…'**

I waited for the response, I was getting used to the anonymous voice. Well, it wasn't really a voice- more like a whole bunch of words being streamed into my head… but it _sounded_ like there was a voice speaking to me.

'**You will lose something dear.'**

What will I lose? I laid a hand over my heart. There was no way I was going to lose this… I have to get back to my parents! And Hayner, Pence, Olette… and Riku.

Swallowing suddenly got harder, but I managed despite it, and opened the door. I couldn't see anything until I stepped through, and my feet met the glass of another platform.

I was only a few feet towards another set of stair cases when I felt the hairs on the back of my neck prickle, and my skin was rippled with goose bumps. I turned around, and was greeted by three pairs of glowing eyes. 'Not those things again!'

I grabbed my sword in my defensive stance that I learned from Riku so long ago, when we mock-dueled as little kids. It worked just fine with my weapon and I wasn't going to lose against these dumb things, so I got ready.

The first attack came with the same springing leap that had nearly got me before I had found myself in this place, and I slashed with my blade in a sweeping arc. The creature was thrown back, with a long gash on its chest, it wailed. The others were afraid of me now, now that they learned not to mess with me. But they didn't want to back off despite their fear.

I decided to go on the offensive and struck again at the wounded one, and with a few more cuts, it dissipated in wisps of black smoke. Not giving the others time to escape, I brought them down, and they disappeared too. Breathing in harsh gasps, I found myself needing to sit down for a few minutes. 'I have to stop eating all that ice cream…' I reminded myself again.

Within a few minutes, I felt better, and descended upon the next staircase. Soon I arrived at the very top, and I couldn't see any other platforms- just another ornate door. I was about to traipse over to it when an immense shaking rocked the platform I was standing on. I tripped, and fell, scraping my knee. "Owww!" I heard something make hissing noises from behind me, so I hurriedly got up, and managed to forget about my knee in the space of five seconds when I found myself staring up into the face of a huge dark creature, something you think you'd only see in movies.

It was humongous! It was like a super-sized version of the little guys I found earlier- except this one had a weird braid-like hair do that stuck up at weird angles, big muscular arms, and a huge hole in its chest shaped like a heart. It leered at me, and I felt my heart beat frantically. Clutching the sword, I suddenly felt very small in comparison… except it wasn't a sword anymore. It looked like a giant key… and it had a gold hilt and a key chain with a Mickey head on the end. 'What is this?'

'**Don't be afraid…'**

I held the key out in front of me. If I wanted to get to that door and escape from this… thing, I'd have to fight it out. Great.

'**You possess the most powerful weapon in the world.'**

The creature had enough of my inner monologues and decided to thrust its arm out towards me. Jumping, I just managed to move enough to the right so that it completely missed me by a few feet. Rolling forward, I cut at its legs. Immediately it brought down its other arm, and thinking it was going to punch me, I retreated. But it stuck into the platform, ruining the stained glass image, and a purplish-black pool of… darkness? - Formed from around its wrist. Suddenly little shadows appeared from the pool and focused their attention on me. 'Crap.'

'**The Keyblade… is your weapon.'**

'The Keyblade?' Without having more time to think, I dispatched them as fast as I could, while dodging more blows from the beast. It was huge, but a bit sluggish. I smirked; this could amount to my advantage, if I was careful enough to avoid getting hit.

I went after its arms and slashed wildly. I hit it once, but it retaliated and smacked me back, throwing me to the floor. I rubbed my cheek- I was sure there was a scratch bleeding there now- and stood up. Blood was dripping down the curve of my chin and I hated bleeding all over my clothes…

'I'm not going to take this.' I went for its head, after I managed to grab a hold of its shoulder. Then I struck its head multiple times, and it roared. I was thrown off and managed to land on my feet. Breathing in, I targeted the head once more and hacked off flesh as huge lacerations appeared on its skin. It wailed this time, and I was thrown off for the final time…

I expected to land on the floor, but I didn't. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" I felt myself fly right into the door, and crumpled into a mangled heap. My vision was blinking from white to black… 'No way… if I don't get up… I won't see my friends again!' I managed to get up after a few seconds of struggling, and looked over to the middle of the platform.

The dark creature was gone. Nothing remained of the fight, except the shattered glass of the platform and red splotches where I had gotten wounded upon landing. I managed to glimpse a sparkling piece of glass lying on the ground, and so I walked over to it, and picked it up.

Upon doing so, I cut myself. "Ouch!" A small welt was now present on my thumb. "Wha…?" The glass was shaped like a strange looking heart, and once my blood was on it, the blood slid over the sharp edges and spread all across it. I stared at it. It was now all red, and it felt like the glass heart was _alive_- like something was pulsing in it. I would've dropped it, but I couldn't bring myself to. Instead, I looked towards the door… now that I worked so hard to reach it, I didn't even have the energy to go over to it.  
"The door is the way out of this place."

I wheeled around, whipping up the Keyblade with one arm to defend myself. When I saw who spoke, I blinked. "A… Ansem?" Those orange eyes looked so familiar…!

"Sora." He looked amused; and I felt a mild sense of anger. Stamping my foot on the ground, I yelled,

"What's so funny?!"

"Do you know why you're here?"

"No." How the heck would I know? I'm only a sixteen year old boy! I've never even seen these things before…

"This place, Sora, is the inner recesses of your heart. There is darkness, yes, but on the other side of that door is all your light. This area is the dark side of your heart."

I looked all around. "The… dark side of my heart? Light?" It made no sense at all!

Ansem began to explain it for me with unusually grave-looking eyes. "In every heart, there is light and darkness. But yours, Sora, is almost completely full of light, the essence that the Heartless fear yet covet."

"The heartless? Are those the creatures that attacked me?" At least it made some sense now.

"Yes. The Heartless search for those with darkness in their heart, and take the hearts from them to consume them for food. In doing so, the person whose heart was taken from them turn into heartless, mindless, soulless creatures that only live to satisfy their hunger. There are many forms of heartless, but no matter what form they may take, they are all the same inside."

I stared at him; now I realized that I had heard of those creatures before- but I thought they were a story! Was the Keyblade from a fairytale too? "And the Keyblade?"

"The most powerful weapon, that has the power to free the captive hearts the Heartless take. You are its chosen wielder."

I glanced at it. Could it really be? Suddenly I heard a noise, when I looked up; Ansem was much closer to me. I took a step back, feeling threatened.

"We need you, Sora. The world of light needs you to take down the Heartless, and the Nobodies."

"What? Why me? And what are Nobodies?" I wasn't sure I liked where this was going…

"Nobodies are the body and soul left behind once the heart of a person is stolen. They lack feelings, though they may pretend to have them. The most common Nobodies are not humanoid in appearance at all. They are not hard to dispatch, so you will not have any major problems defeating them. The ones you need to obliterate are the ones who look like humans… more importantly, the members of the notorious group, Organization XIII.

Organization XIII are looking for the hearts they lost, which by all conclusions should have reached Kingdom Hearts. And we need you to infiltrate the group because you have the power of the Keyblade to vanquish them. This is your task alone."

Organization XIII… Kingdom Hearts… "I don't understand. You want me to kill a whole bunch of people who just want to be complete?"

"They do not die. They are Nobodies. They will simply return to the darkness. And they lost the right to get their hearts back when they surrendered to the darkness."

"But-!"

"They will be not only come after you once they figure out who you are, but also your friends, and family. They will do this so that they may persuade you to work for them."

Some flashes of my parents, Cloud and Squall/Leon, who had been so kind as to adopt me when I was little went through my mind. Images of my best friends, Hayner, Pence, and Olette appeared as well. I even remembered Riku and Kairi, Aerith, Tifa, Rikku… I blinked, and then rubbed my eyes as I had felt a small tear form. I couldn't let them get hurt. Not because of me! I swallowed, and then I agreed. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to take that piece of glass you're holding, and then carve a line straight down through it. This will actually split your physical heart in your chest. You will become as though you had a twin, while your actual heart that is your essence sleeps. Essentially, you WILL become a Nobody to dispose of any suspicion Organization XIII might have against you when you are found."

"So… if I do carve that line… will I be killing myself?" The way he described it sounded like suicide! Could I really do that…?

"In a way, but in reality, you won't be. Your heart will be sleeping in a pod, as if it were in suspended animation. But in your new identity, you'll be fine."

I bit my lip. It was a really hard decision… and I still had a few more questions to ask. "Will I be able to change back?"

Ansem nodded. "In time, you will know when your mission is complete… You will come back for your heart, and regain your memories."

I blinked. 'What?! He never said anything about losing my memories!' "My memories?! Why would I lose them?"

Ansem sighed, as if losing patience. Which he probably was. "When you are reborn as a Nobody, you will not remember anything… because the memories are stored in your heart, and you won't have it."

I looked down, with my bangs hiding my eyes, I remarked, "I see. What will happen to my friends, my parents…?"

"They will forget you for a while. Once your mission is complete, they will remember you again, as if you had just gone away for a year."

"A YEAR?!" This was pushing the limit. I have _never_ been away from anyone so long, except for Riku and the others. My grasp on the Keyblade got tighter. "Will it… really take that long?"

"Yes. But you will see, it will be all worth it in the end." He began to fade, almost like he was never there to begin with.

"Wait!" I ran towards him, but he started moving away while he was disappearing. "How will I know when the time is right?!"

"You will feel your heart, Sora, calling out to you. But don't be scared…"

"Wait!" But it was too late. He was already gone.

Swearing, I slammed the Keyblade on the ground. 'Don't just leave me hanging like that…' I felt hot tears prick the back of my eyes. "So this is it, huh? I'll be gone for a whole year… No friends… No parents… Just little old me and this Keyblade." I glared at it. This was its entire fault! I threw it on the ground to express my frustration, but soon after it landed it appeared back in my hand. "Huh?!"

My eyes softened after a while. No, it wasn't the Keyblade's fault. Stuff happens… I sighed. "I guess I'll just have to do what he said." I knelt down on the floor near the door and set the glass heart down. I gazed at it for a while, then steeled myself for what I was about to do.

With one smooth vertical slice of the Keyblade, I had drawn a line through the glass on the surface. I soon felt an immense pain in my chest. "What the…?" The line I had drawn glowed; it was beginning to crack through, and with one short burst of light, it split the heart cleanly in half. Staggering to my feet, my vision faltered as I just barely grasped the handle of the door. I ogled it as I sworn I could have seen my hair blink from brown to yellow locks. But I couldn't focus; the pain that was trapped inside my chest was too much...

"So this is what it feels like… to lose your heart… It sucks…" I opened the door. Blinding light greeted me and I couldn't take it anymore. 'Whoever I become, I hope I'm a good person… Nobody…' were my last thoughts before I fainted into the opening beyond the door.

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**Rei**: Wow. That was only two hundred words shy of the first chapter, I think. xD Ah well. I still loved it. Please honor me with reviews…! We get to see Roxas next chapter. And Xemmy. And Axel. Got it memorized? **Hit with a frying pan** Man I need to stop saying that… XD And yes, I probably overused the 'don't be scared' and 'you hold the greatest weapon in the world' lines... but I think it was important for emphasis. 

remember! reviews:D If you want more. I already have the third chapter done... :P though you must persuade me to post it. Love!

-rei


	3. Roxas

**Rei**: THE THIRD CHAPTER!!!! W000000T! I am on a STREAK! I have never done this before… on this account at least. :D Man, I feel inspired. If only the same could be said for the other stories… o.o

**Disclaimer**- NO. I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Go away you lawyers.

**Dedicated to**: everyone who's reading this. You rock my pockets!

**Note**: Roxas is here from here on in :D I love blonds…

And this is what Kurama'sFoxyMiko uses to respond to flamers: "Flamers with their flames aren't welcome. Don't give me any of your shit if you don't want any of mine." Same goes for me. :D Don't review if you're just going to be nasty. It's not like I made you click on the link to my story, so if you're against yaoi, then get out. I haven't gotten any flames, but just in case... XD

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**Deep Dive- chapter three- Roxas**

"Speech"

'Thought'

_Flash back_

Twilight Town- By the Old Mansion-

Normal POV

It was approximately 8:13 PM in The World That Never Was when all the members of the Organization felt the presence of a powerful Nobody enter the world. Starting from the lowest ranking member, Larxene, the Savage Nymph, was currently in the middle of sharpening her kunai knives when she felt that curious sensation. It fizzled in the recesses of her mind, working its way downward until it reached her toes. Static electricity was now upon her like a thick blanket.

Marluxia, number 11 of the Organization, the Graceful Assassin, merely blinked before continuing to prune the dangerous plants that lied within the reaches of his garden. He did not care; it was not his job to retrieve the last member.

Luxord, number 10, the Gambler of Fate, was in the middle of a card game with number nine, Demyx, the Melodious Nocturne when they too felt the presence. Demyx jumped up and down in his seat with glee while Luxord merely stared at his cards. He would have to think about the Nobody later- he just needed one more card in order to get a full house…

Axel, number eight, the Flurry of Dancing Flames, was with number two, Xigbar, the Freeshooter, currently arguing about who got to retrieve the possible new member. Axel said he had a good feeling about this one and that he should go, while Xigbar merely refuted that they didn't have feelings, therefore Axel didn't actually feel anything. He ended up setting fire to Xigbar's cloak and he left to speak with the Superior.

Number seven, Saïx, the Luna Diviner, only stared at the glorious moon of Kingdom Hearts, while his curiosity mounted. He had seen a star shine brighter when he felt the presence, and it was in the general direction of Twilight Town. He would have to inform the Superior of this- so he left to see him.

Numbers six, five, four, and three were all associating freely within the kitchen of the Organization's stronghold. Xaldin, number three, the Whirlwind Lancer, continued to chop carrots while he cooked. The other three, Vexen (number four- the Chilly Academic), Lexaeus (number five- the Silent Hero), and Zexion (number six- the Cloaked Schemer) debated the potential abilities of the new nobody.

And finally, Xemnas, the Superior himself, was smiling eerily once he knew there was a new, powerful Nobody. He had known from the Dusks he had sent out to watch the Keyblade bearer that it was the Nobody of Sora himself that had just been born… to him, it was like he had just gotten his heart back. Upon gaining the Keyblade bearer's nobody, they could use him to defeat the heartless and obtain many, new, fresh hearts to restore Kingdom Hearts to its former glory. Surely then they'd be able to get their hearts back…

Xemnas's thoughts were interrupted when two members, Axel and Saïx, appeared in his office from the portals of darkness. He frowned. "Yes?"

Saïx spoke first. "Superior- the presence of the Nobody- it was in the direction of Twilight Town."

"Thank you, Saïx. Do you have anything else for me?" he was ignoring Axel- Xemnas's policy was to listen to everyone- but the higher ranking members got to go first.

"No sir, but may I retrieve him?" The blunet was hopeful. He had always had something for Xemnas, and would willingly serve him without a complaint. That is why he was considered much more powerful in terms of rank even though his number was against him. Xigbar would say it himself that he wasn't as trusted as Saïx or Marluxia.

"Superior, I would like to request that I retrieve the new member this time." The redheaded Axel cut in, his bright, fluorescent green eyes centered on Xemnas's own orange ones.

Xemnas rubbed his temples from beneath silver bangs. Two headaches in his office were two too many. "Axel, you were out of turn, and for the record, none of you may retrieve number XIII. I myself will be taking this one, for he is most important- the Nobody of the Keyblade bearer himself."

Both of their eyebrows almost disappeared into their hairlines. "The Keyblade bearer?!"

"Yes. He will be most useful to us… therefore it shall be I to welcome him to the Organization. However…" He looked upon both of them. Saïx was powerful, but not patient with the younger members. Axel was like a thousand-piece puzzle- trying to figure him out was time-consuming. None the less, Axel seemed like a better choice to train the new member in the basics. "Axel, you will be responsible for introducing the member to the Organization, and teaching him everything he will need to know."

Axel seemed content with that, with the way that his cat-like eyes perked up and his mouth twisted into a smirk. "Will do. Thank you, Xemnas." He used a dark portal to warp away.

Xemnas expected Saïx to complain, but strangely, he remained silent. After several tense moments, he asked, "Why Axel?"

Xemnas rubbed at his temples some more before replying. "I can trust him… somewhat. As long as he does his job and keeps on his toes, I will not have a reason not to."

"I see." Saïx was still miffed, but accepted it anyway. "I will see you when you bring the new member, Xemnas." He left as well.

Xemnas then warped to Twilight Town, where he was able to track the presence of the nobody in the town. Currently, it was not moving, but that could change…

When Xemnas arrived at the location where the aura was the strongest, he found himself outside a run-down mansion near the outward perimeter of the locked gate. There, a blond boy lay upon the ground, wearing nothing but a simple ivory t-shirt and a pair of long black pants. The boy's hair was spiky, and in some places, the spikes were curved to grow in a certain direction. But that wasn't really what caught Xemnas's attention- it was the weapon still being clutched in the hands of the nobody that made him absolutely sure that it was him. 'Now to wake the boy,' he thought.

He summoned Heartless to the scene, and waited for the boy to sense their auras nearby. Sure enough, the boy stirred out of his unconscious state long enough to see what was staring him down- Heartless and a man in black.

Jumping to his feet, he immediately attacked all the heartless that dared go near him. With a flurry of slices, slashes, and cuts that he dished out, the scores of heartless that Xemnas had summoned disappeared, with only the boy and the older Nobody staring each other down.

At first the boy seemed confused at how he knew how to use the weapon, but soon discarded the thought in one of those 'oh what the hell, it'll do' gestures in favor of talking to Xemnas.

"Who are you and what do you want with me?" The boy was on the verge of attacking him, but held back long enough to wait for an answer.

"What I want is of no importance… unless you too find yourself missing the feel of a steady beat of your heart. I am Xemnas, the leader of Organization XIII. And you are?" He knew that the nobody would not know his name; only a few members were able to remember their true names after falling to the heartless.

The blond paused, then tried to think, but was only rewarded with a dull, pounding headache. "I… don't remember…"

"I can tell you what it is."

The offer was irresistible, and Xemnas knew it, because he took the bait. "What is it then?"

"If I tell you, come join me and my fellow nobodies on the noble quest of gaining back our hearts. Don't you miss being able to say you truly feel?"

"Truly… feel? What are you talking about?! You're not making any sense!"

"You believe that you are feeling confused. But in reality, you are not. You are a Nobody- born without a heart, without feelings… You may even believe that my words are cruel, but they are not. They are merely the truth." The words chilled the boy to the bone; but he had no other choice. He did not know who he was, what his name was… only that he was alone, with only one other alternative.

"I… I'll join you. Tell me, who am I, and what is this… weapon in my hands?"

Xemnas raised his arm, and with a flick of his wrist and fingers, letters erupted from his fingertips. It read:

**S O R A**

He summoned an **X**, watching the boy's eyes as he watched eagerly, longing to know his name.

The letters then spun around in the air for a few seconds, trying different combinations before it found something that fit him:

**R O X A S**

"Roxas…" The boy tried it on his tongue, and found that he liked it. Roxas now looked up at Xemnas with determined blue eyes framed by sunny lashes. "So… what is this?" He gestured with the Keyblade.

Xemnas only smiled with an air of greed. "The Keyblade… the most powerful weapon in the world lies in your hands. It is your destiny to help us become complete with releasing hearts into the reservoir Kingdom Hearts… which will give all of us our hearts back. So… that would make you the Key of Destiny."

Roxas closed his eyes, and then opened them. "I understand… Xemnas."

Xemnas was pleased. "Very well… I shall now open a path to our world, The World That Never Was."

End of chapter three

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**Rei**: I bet you're all going, 'WHAT THE HELL?! THAT WAS SO SHORT!' **dodging knives** I know, I know. But please bear with me. I believed that would be the appropriate place to stop… AND ROXAS MEETS AXEL ANYWAY NEXT CHAPTER! Woohoo! By the way, did anyone catch the random akuroku reference? XD Please review. I don't know how fast I'll be able to get the next chapter up- considering I haven't written it yet... but I have other stories to attend to. I'll do my best, despite two jobs, school, homework, and family stuff. :D Love!

-rei


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